Spurs smash record as they land £11m Rebrov

Alan Sugar's determination to silence his critics took on tangible form yesterday when Tottenham agreed a club-record £11m fee for the Dynamo Kiev striker Sergei Rebrov.

It represents a giant leap in transfer dealings for Spurs, who since January 1998 had spent £23m in total on new players.

It also seems to represent a final attempt by the Spurs chairman to counter accusations of stinginess and end his own frustration at failing to make a success of Tottenham on the pitch in the way he has with his other businesses.

The computer millionaire, who once threatened to sell Spurs, now appears to see the purchase of players of the highest quality as the way to win the recognition he craves and the silverware the fans demand. More talent will be purchased over the summer.

Last month David Pleat, Spurs' director of football, promised at least two high-quality signings this summer.

Two Wimbledon players have recently been linked with the Spurs revolution: Scotland's goalkeeper Neil Sullivan and the £6m-rated full-back Ben Thatcher.

Rebrov, who will sign a £25,000-a-week, five-year deal subject to receiving a work permit, represents quite a coup, for he chose Spurs ahead of a possible move to Italy, Arsenal and Rangers despite Tottenham's disappointing season and the prospect of no European football for at least a year.

The 25-year-old also ignored the advice of his fellow Ukraine international Oleg Luzhny, of Arsenal, who said he should "join a bigger and better club".

Rebrov said: "Tottenham managed to find a common language with me." He was unimpressed by Arsenal's decision not to enter talks until after the end of the season.

Spurs, said Rebrov, "have a manager [George Graham] who gets the strikers to run and get the ball. I have played like that all the time."

Rebrov, who as a seasoned international should have no work-permit problems, made his name playing alongside Andrei Shevchenko before his fellow striker's £18m move to Milan last summer. He has scored about 100 league goals for Kiev and 24 in Europe.

"I am looking forward to playing in England," he said. "I like it better than Italian football, although I can't explain why."

Spurs will hope the arrival of such a quality player helps persuade Sol Campbell to stay at the club. But the new signing probably spells the end at Spurs for Chris Armstrong, who has been linked with Leicester, and their previous record signing Les Ferdinand (£6m) as a clear-out begins.